The Luso-American Education Foundation (East) and Lesley University are pleased to announce the 24th Portuguese Language and Cultures Conference to be held this year on Saturday, April 6, 2013 at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Bridging the Past with the Present and the Future: Contributions, Connections & Communities is the theme of this conference and its main objectives include: (1) to affirm and value our linguistic and cultural presence in our multicultural American society, (2) to foster learning and understanding of the Portuguese language and cultures, (3) to celebrate the many contributions of our communities to American society and (4) to promote a new vision for our linguistic and cultural future in the USA & Beyond.

Prof. Duarte Mendes and Doctor Paulo Dias are the keynote speakers. Professor Duarte Mendes was the first Director of the Office of Immigration and Communities of the Regional Government of the Azores, between 1978 & 1997(now the Direção Regional das Comunidades). The title of his presentation is The Azores and the Communities After the Autonomy: The First Two Decades.

The President of Universidade Aberta, Lisbon, Portugal, Professor Paulo Dias will focus on Perspectives for the Future of Portuguese and Its Impact on Global Collaboration.

The Conference sessions go from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm including workshops, panels, music, the launching of two books and an art exhibit. The conference will close with a Banquet and a special cultural event.

To register for the conference and banquet, or just for the Banquet, please contact Mr. Paulo Cordeiro or Mrs. Belmira Cordeiro by email paulcordeiro75@comcast.net or Tel: (617 625 733) until 29 March 2013. You can download the registration form at the following website: www.pwlinstitute.net (Please use Firefox).